


Blood and Strangers

by Armed_With_Knitting_Needles



Series: Linked Universe Fanfics [4]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, Linked Universe, LinkedUniverse, Realization, Some gore and violence, We still don't have a unified tag for these, scared civilians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 05:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18329663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Armed_With_Knitting_Needles/pseuds/Armed_With_Knitting_Needles
Summary: Sky doesn't understand why the people they rescued are still so nervous.





	Blood and Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the LU discord weekly challenge: Aftermath. I figured I might post it here as well. I hope you enjoy it. As always please tell me about anyways you can think of for me to improve. Constructive Criticism is actively encouraged.

The ground was splattered with blood and entrails. Severed limbs lay where they had fallen. A shrill wailing could be heard from one side of the battlefield as a survivor tried to claw its way to freedom. It died with a gurgle as a sharp sword was thrust through its skull. 

“I think this was the last one over here!” Four called to the other Links. 

Hyrule peered down from the top platform of the fortress, “I’m not seeing any more up here either!”

Other Links were searching other areas of the camp looking for more survivors and loot. A gang of monsters had captured a pair of villagers who had strayed too close to their territory. Sky and Wind wind worked to get them out of their crude, but very sturdy, cage against the cliffside. One by one, the rest of the Links called that their areas of the camp were free of monsters.

Finally, Twilight walked out of a clump of trees, shifting from wolf to man as he walked. “No new trails,” he said, “We got the last of them.” The group relaxed a little. One of the villagers in the pen shrieked before his wife could clap a hand over his mouth. 

“Are you okay?” Wind asked. The woman nodded mutely. Her eyes were dilated and her hand stayed over her husbands mouth. 

Wind frowned, but Sky smiled at the couple and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll be out of here in no time!” That didn’t seem to calm them down, but Sky figured it was because they were nervous. He was always nervous if he was in a small space too long. Humming seemed to help him, so he hummed as he and Wind hacked and sawed at the rope and trees making up the cage.

It took almost a half hour get them free, but that wasn’t entirely a bad thing. The other Link’s had moved most of the bodies into one pile. That way the couple wouldn’t have to worry about stepping on any dead monsters. Sky smiled as he turned to the couple, not quite noticing the way they inched away from him.

“You need to get home before dark,” he said, “Me and some of the others can come with you to keep you safe if you want. Where do you live?”

The couple was pale and trembling. Their brush with monsters had obviously left them shaken. However the woman tried to smile as she spoke. “No need, no need,” she said, “It’s not far and we know the way from here.” Sky frowned, she looked a little unsteady.

“It’s no problem,” he said, “There are nine of us, I’m sure we can spare a few and you look like you might…”

“We’re fine!” the woman snapped. She was trembling even harder. Sky took a step back as some of the other Links turned to look.

The man put a placating hand on his wife’s shoulder and murmured in her ear. She nodded and leaned against him, though he was trembling just as badly as she was. “We’re fine,” he assured them, “we know our way home and you seem busy.” Sky opened his mouth to protest, but the man put up a hand. “In fact,” he said brightly, “take this nut cake! It’s an old family recipe.” Suddenly there was a nutcake being thrust into Sky’s hands and the couple was hurrying off as quickly as they could manage. 

Sky stood frozen with his mouth open and a nutcake in his hand. He shook himself and turned to look at the other heroes. “What was that about?” he asked.

The other Links looked away, suddenly very busy looting and burning monsters. Sky narrowed his eyes “What was _that_ about?” 

The others shifted uncomfortably before Legend finally spoke up, “Look around you. That’s what  _ that _ was about.” While bitter, the comment was snide. It was just a statement.

Sky looked. He saw the usual aftermath of a battle. Warriors was picking through bokoblins for parts. Hyrule was lugging the last full body to the pile. Four and Wind were starting to gather up the severed arms and other unscavangable parts for the pile. Time was standing watch. The only thing that bother  _ him _ was Wild meticulously cutting arrows out of his numb left side with a dagger as Twilight hovered over him with a bottle of potion. 

It was all so normal, really just another fight.  They fought the monsters, killed them, and then cleaned up. Traveling with the other Links was just like this. 

Suddenly, Sky felt like he was being hit by a lynel. Oh. This wasn’t normal; not for anyone who wasn’t them. They had just slaughtered a camp of bokoblins in front of, for a lack of a better word, civilians. Then he smiled at them … and tried to follow them home. No wonder they were terrified. 

Sky felt numb. He should have known that. The others all had. But Sky… In Skyloft, and even later on the surface, it wasn’t like that. People weren’t be scared of him, at least he didn’t think they were. They’d thank him and ask if he was still coming to dinner tomorrow night. They weren’t strangers. They knew him. This couple hadn’t. Sky sat down on a nearby rock with his head in his hands. How could he be so oblivious?

Legend raised an eyebrow. “Just realized it now did ya?” Sky glared at him. That wasn’t what he needed. 

Wild stopped cleaning the arrows he had just cut out of his side. “Don’t worry about it. The first few times it happened to me I was clueless.”

Sky stared as Wild continued, “You should have seen them the first time I walked into a stable after clearing out a bokoblin problem. The were terrified of me and they ASKED me to do it.” He chuckled, “Asking to register the stalhorse probably didn’t help.”

Even in his current state, Sky had to smile at that. The image of Wild covered in blood, on a stalhorse, and probably wielding a stalkoblin arm painted a pretty frightening image. 

Twilight smiled sadly, shaking his head at the antics of his protege. “You just aren’t used to dealing with strangers. They’re grateful, but we did just slaughter a camp full of monsters in front of them. You’re fine.” He paused, “Just… don’t try and follow them home next time.”

The others chuckled and Sky smiled. Strangers might be afraid of him sometimes, but his friends never were. 


End file.
